Norfolk

Norfolk is best known to many as the flat, low lying county in eastern England where The Broads form a network of navigable, lock-free rivers and canals, providing many with a wide variety of leisure pursuits, from those “messing about on boats” to twitchers searching for rare birds among the many acres of wetlands.

Norfolk County Golf Union was formed in 1908 so it has been the administrative authority to clubs in the county for over 100 years. Today there are more than thirty clubs – from Eagles GC in the west to Great Yarmouth & Caister GC in the east – in membership of the Union, which itself is affiliated to the South Eastern Group of Unions (even though Norfolk competes annually against Suffolk and four counties from the Midland Golf Union in the Anglian League).

Norfolk Ladies’ County Golf Association celebrated its centenary in 2012 and it currently presides over 31 affiliated clubs in the region – quite an improvement in membership, considering only five clubs were represented at its inaugural meeting back in 1912. Norfolk ladies take part in competitions against other associations with two county teams, a junior team and a senior team.

The county is blessed with a number of top golf courses, two of which – Royal West Norfolk and Hunstanton – are rightly ranked amongst the Top 100 18-hole layouts in Great Britain and Ireland. The two links courses are located within seven miles of each other so there’s absolutely no reason for serious golfers to not play both when visiting Norfolk.

Royal West NorfolkDescription: Check the tide times before you plan your trip to Royal West Norfolk Golf Club, the course plays on a narrow strip of links-land which gets cut off at high tide, turning it into an island.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:5.2641509433962
out of 6

SheringhamDescription: Sheringham Golf Club is located high on the clifftops on an undulating thin sliver of land, which is wedged between the North Sea cliff edge and the North Norfolk Railway.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:4.6363636363636
out of 6

Royal CromerDescription: Royal Cromer Golf Club stands some 320 feet above the sandy beaches. The wooded and bracken covered ground is pleasantly undulating.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:4.9375
out of 6

ThetfordDescription: Laid out on sandy soil within the Breckland Forest amongst pine, oak and birch, Thetford Golf Club is not only a wonderful place to play golf but also it’s a serious challenge.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:4.7
out of 6

King's LynnDescription: The 10th at King's Lynn Golf Club is regarded as one of the best holes in the East of England. The course plots its way through the delightful Castle Rising woods.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:4.5454545454545
out of 6

Great Yarmouth & CaisterDescription: Great Yarmouth & Caister Golf Club is the Home of Bogey and the oldest golf club in Norfolk, founded in 1882. Unusually, this North Sea links layout features the Great Yarmouth racecourse as a hazard.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:4.3333333333333
out of 6

Eaton

8th

Located on the southern outskirts of Norwich, Eaton Golf Club was established in 1910. This lovely parkland course measures 6,118 yards from the back markers and with tight, tree-lined fairways, accuracy rather than length pays dividends.

Royal NorwichDescription: Royal Norwich Golf Club is a very well established parkland course... a club with history. The layout has changed little since James Braid's alterations in 1924.Written by:Top100 Ave. RatingRating:3.3333333333333
out of 6

Swaffham

10th

Founded in 1922 as a 9-holer, the course at Swaffham Golf Club was extended in 2001 to 18 holes by Jonathan Gaunt and Steve Marnoch when the club acquired a substantial parcel of Breckland heathland.